The policy is NOT new, it is simply being enforced.
At the 2023 Lordship Improvement Association’s annual meeting, the community brought to the board’s attention that golf cart use was detracting from enjoyment of the Lordship Bluffs. The board responded that, with signs posted (for over ten years) at the entrances, we could rely on community cooperation without involving law enforcement or modifying the rail fence. Since that time, golf cart use of the Bluffs has continued to increase, and LIA members have requested increased enforcement. At the 2024 annual meeting, the board presented its plan to reconfigure the rail fence, including budgetary allocation. There was NO opposition voiced at that meeting.
The board appreciates concern expressed for the mobility challenged. To that end, the entrance at the foot of Lordship Road was specifically designed for wheelchair access.
The LIA Board acknowledges the frustration of golf cart owners who are not allowed, by long-standing policy, to park on the Bluffs. Until the Town passed an ordinance permitting golf carts on Town streets in 2021, Lordship residents carried their chairs and coolers to Russian Beach, without issue. The parking lots at Long and Short Beach remain available for golf carts to bring beach gear. Also, golf carts can be used to bring beach gear to Russian Beach: they just may not be driven and parked on the Bluffs.
The erosion at the edge of the Bluffs is a serious environmental concern, because at times, 20+ golf carts are on the Bluffs. The damage to the turf aggravates the erosion and contributes to Bluffs’ deterioration. Also, LIA insurance is underwritten for passive use of a land conservancy, not for motorized vehicles.
Of note, other actions by the LIA to protect and beautify the land trust of the Bluffs include reducing the number of events on the property, creating a pollinator garden, annual flailing to facilitate water views, removal of invasive plants, setting up birdhouses, enlisting a consultant to inventory trees and plants so a strategic plan can be developed, spreading wood chips on paths, and weekly mowing and maintenance of the main path.
Please consider that the inconvenience of carrying chairs to the beach is for the protection and safety of this beautiful natural habitat that is valued by so many, and which should be preserved for future generations. The board deeply appreciates everyone who lives in and loves our community. We value your understanding in complying with the enforcement of our long-standing policy.
With appreciation, the LIA Board of Governors.
Susan Birge, Hans Drenkard, John Florian, Jane Scofield, Emily Viner, and Jim Warren
You are doing what you have to do and we support you! Thank you for the care you take of the Trust's properties!